In the conventional hair cosmetic compositions, a cationic surfactant such as a linear mono- or di-long-chain alkyl quaternary ammonium salt or branched mono- or di-long-chain alkyl quaternary ammonium salt has been incorporated with a view toward making the feel of the hair to the touch better, and an oil or fat such as a higher alcohol, glyceride or liquid paraffin has been used in combination with such a cationic surfactant to make the feel of the hair to the touch still better.
On the other hand, as methods of imparting resilience to the hair, there have been known, for example, a method in which a high-molecular weight substance is added to a hair cosmetic composition to cause the high-molecular weight substance to be adsorbed on the surface of the hair, thereby imparting resilience to the hair; and a method in which an astringent is incorporated into a hair cosmetic composition to astringe the hair.
However, these conventional hair cosmetic compositions have involved a drawback that the feel of the hair to the touch, i.e., softness, a moistured feel, smoothness and an antistat effect, which are hair-conditioning effects brought about thereby, are insufficient. With respect to the moistured feel of the hair, therefore, a measure to use an oil or fat in combination to make up for its deficiency has been taken. However, this measure has been accompanied by sticky and oily feel to the touch, and particularly still involved a problem that the hair-conditioning effects are insufficient for the damaged hair in a dry state. The conventional hair cosmetic compositions have also been insufficient in effects of preventing damage to the hair and of keeping the waves or curls of the hair beautiful. In addition, it has been impossible to improve the resilience of the hair while exhibiting these effects.
Therefore, there has been a demand for the development of a hair cosmetic composition which has neither sticky nor oily feel to the touch, is excellent in hair-conditioning effects of, for example, giving users a moistured feel, recovers resilience and is sufficient in effects of preventing damage to the hair and of keeping the waves or curls of the hair beautiful.
In view of the foregoing circumstances, the present inventors have carried out an extensive investigation. As a result, it has been found that the combined use of a cationic surfactant, a specific fatty acid, or a salt or ester thereof and an aromatic alcohol can provide a hair cosmetic composition in which the fatty acid, or the salt or ester thereof can permeate the hair so as not only to prevent damage to the hair upon washing or brushing of the hair, but also to impart resilience to the hair even in a dry state, and which exhibits excellent hair-conditioning effects of, for example, giving users a moistured feel and making the hair soft and smooth, and also has superb effects of keeping the waves or curls of the hair beautiful, leading to completion of the present invention.